By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Alcohol has been implicated as a factor that may
hurt your efforts to lose body fat. Whether alcohol is "fattening"
has been a very controversial subject because technically speaking, alcohol is
NOT stored as fat; it is oxidized ahead of other fuels.
Whether moderate drinking is healthy has also been
a subject of controversy. Many studies show that cardiovascular health benefits
are associated with moderate beer or wine drinking (which has been of
particular interest lately with reservatrol in the news so much), while other
studies show improved insulin sensitivity. Some experts however, say that
alcohol has no place in a fitness lifestyle.
A recent study published in the journal Obesity
adds new findings to our knowledge about alcohol, insulin resistance and
abdominal obesity. Analysis of the results as compared to other studies also
gives us some insights into why some people seem to drink and get fat while
others seem to drink and get thin!
The truth about the beer belly phenomenon
This new study, by Ulf Riserus and Erik Inglesson,
was based on the Swedish Uppsala Longitudinal cohort. The researchers found
that alcohol intake in older men did not improve insulin sensitivity, which
contradicted their own hypothesis and numerous previous studies.
They also said there was a very "robust"
association between alcohol intake, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio.
They pointed out that a high alcohol intake, especially hard liquor, was
closely associated with abdominal body fat, not just overall body mass.
Abdominal fat accumulation is not just a cosmetic
problem, it can be a serious health risk. Abdominal fat, also known as "android"
or "central" obesity, increases the risk for cardiovascular disease,
high blood pressure, high blood lipids, glucose intolerance and elevated
insulin levels.
Many other studies have also found a link between
alcohol intake and abdominal fat, but this too has been controversial. A study
that was widely publicized by the BBC in 2003 dismissed the concept of the
“beer belly.”
Nevertheless, it looks like there’s some scientific
support to it after all (or at least a “liquor belly” according to this newer
study).
Hormones may be strongly involved because high
alcohol intake has been shown to decrease blood testosterone in men, and also
increase cortisol levels, which can lead to visceral fat accumulation.
Why is there so much controversy? Why the discrepancy
in research findings about alcohol’s influence on obesity, abdominal fat, and
insulin sensitivity?
Well, here’s the real story of why some people
don’t get fat when they drink:
A lot of the confusion is because epidemiological
research cannot show cause and effect relationships and mistakes can easily be
made when drawing associations based on limited data.
With the nature of these longitudinal studies, you
have to look at the lifestyle and nature of drinkers in general (or in this
study, hard liquor drinkers). Also, the Swedish study focused on older men, so
age may have been a factor. You may be more likely to deposit alcohol right on
your belly as you get older.
When you hear that alcohol increases belly fat, you
also have to look at what else is going on in the life of the drinker,
particularly what the rest of a person’s diet looks like, and how alcohol
intake affects appetite and eating habits.
Research says that alcohol can mess up your body’s
perception of hunger, satiety and fullness. If drinking stimulates additional
eating, or adds additional calories that aren’t compensated for and which lead
to positive energy balance, then you get fat. You may also get fat in the
belly, no thanks to what booze does to hormones.
Another thing that confounds the reports on whether
alcohol contributes to weight gain is the fact that the game changes in heavy
drinkers. We know that alcohol contains 7.1 calories per gram and these
calories always count as part of the energy balance equation… or do they? With chronic
excessive alcohol consumption, it's possible that not all of these calories are
available for energy. Due to changes in liver function and something called the
microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), alcoholism may be a real case of
where some calories don’t count. Many alcoholics also skip meals and eat less
with increasing alcohol consumption.
Alcohol metabolizing pathways notwithstanding, even
if binge drinkers, daily drinkers or heavy drinkers consume most of their
calories from alcohol, if they eat very little, and remain in a calorie
deficit, they will not get fat. Compound this with the hormonal effects and you
witness the skinny, but under-nourished, unhealthy and atrophied alcoholic (the
person you'd think would be most likely to have a beer belly).
It's the calories that count
The bottom line is, the idea that alcohol just
automatically turns into fat or gives you a beer belly is mistaken. It’s true
that alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but mainly, alcohol adds calories into
your diet, messes with your hormones and can stimulate appetite, leading to
even more calories consumed. That’s where the fat gain comes from.
If you drink in moderation, if you’re aware of the
calories in the alcohol, if you're aware of the calories from additional food
intake consumed during or after drinking, and if you compensate for all of the
above accordingly, you won’t get fat.
Now, with that said, you might be wondering: “You
mean I can drink and still lose fat? I just need to keep in a calorie deficit?”
Yes, that's exactly what I mean. But before you
rush off to the pub for a cold one, hold that thought for a minute while you
consider this first: The empty alcohol calories displace the nutrient dense
calories!
When you’re on a fat loss program you have a fairly
small “calorie budget”, so you need to give some careful thought to how those
calories should be “spent.” For example, if a female is on a 1500 calorie per
day diet, does she really want to "spend" 500 of those calories – one
third of her intake - for a few alcoholic drinks, and leave only 1000 for
health-promoting food, fiber and lean muscle building protein?
I realize some people may answer “yes” to that
question, but then again, if some people spent their money as frivolously as
they spent their calories, they would be in deep trouble!
To summarize this into some practical, take-home
advice, here are 7 of my personal tips for alcohol consumption in the fitness
lifestyle:
(1) Don’t drink on a fat loss program.
Although you could certainly drink and “get away with it” if you diligently
maintained your calorie deficit as noted above, it certainly does not help your
fat loss cause or your nutritional status.
(2) Drink in moderation during maintenance.
For lifelong weight maintenance and a healthy lifestyle, if you drink, do so in
moderation and only occasionally, such as on weekends or when you go out to
dine in restaurants. Binge drinking and getting drunk has no place in a fitness
lifestyle (not to mention hangovers aren’t very conducive to good workouts).
(3) Don't drink daily. Moderate drinking,
including daily drinking, has been associated with cardiovascular health
benefits. However, I don’t recommend daily drinking because behaviors repeated
daily become habits. Behaviors repeated multiple times daily become strong
habits. Habitual drinking may lead to heavier drinking or full-blown addictions
and can be hard to stop if you ever need to cut back.
(4) Count the calories. If you decide to
have a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or two (or whatever moderation is for
you), be sure to account for the alcohol in your daily calorie budget.
(5) Watch your appetite. Don’t let the
“munchies” get control of you during or after you drink (Note to chicken wing
and nacho-eating men: The correlation to alcohol and body fat is higher in men
in almost all the studies. One possible explanation is that men tend to drink and
eat, while women may tend to drink instead of eating).
(6) Watch the fatty foods. When drinking,
watch the fatty foods in particular. A study by Angelo Tremblay back in 1995
suggested that alcohol and a high fat diet are a combination that favors
overfeeding.
(7) Enjoy without guilt. If you choose to
drink (moderately and sensibly), then don’t feel guilty about it or beat
yourself up afterwards, just enjoy the darn stuff, will you!
To see a complete fat burning system that takes you
by the hand, step by step and shows you what to eat, what to drink (and what
not drink), how to exercise and how to stay motivated, visit: www-burnthefat-com
References:
(1) Alcohol Intake, Insulin Resistance, and
abdominal obesity in elderly men. Riserus U, Ingelsson E., Obesity. 15(7):
1766-1773. 2007
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified
strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer
(CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches
you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world's
best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and
increase your metabolism by visiting: www-burnthefat-com
